Improvement in curry-combs



c. A. HOTGHKISS Curry-Comb.

No. 208,879. I Patented Oct. 8,1878

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d a W -PETERi, PHOTGLITHUGRAPHEH. WASHINGTON. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. HOTGHKISS, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT lN CURRY-COMES.

Specification fomning part of Letters Patent No. 208,879, dated October 8, 1878; application filed October 6, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. Horcn- KIss, of the city of Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curry- Combs and Brushes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this-specification, in which Figure 1 represents a perspective View of a curry-comb containing my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 represent modifications of my invention.

It is often desirable to grasp the curry-comb or brushover its back between the fingers and thumb, instead of using the handle usually attached. WVith the curry-combs and brushes in use prior to my invention no means were provided for aifording a firm and convenient support for the fingers and thumb, so that the comb or brush could be grasped between them.

The object of my invention is to provide means by which the brush or comb can be firmly and conveniently held between the fingers and thumb when in use.

To this end it consists in a grasping device for the fingers located at or near the front edge of the comb or brush, and a rest for the thumb opposite, or nearly so, to the said grasping device, the two being constructed and co-operatin g as will be more fully hereinafter de scribed and claimed.

In the drawings, A represents a grasping device located at or near the front of the comb, and secured thereto by rivets passing through it and'the back of the comb. This device is bent or arched over the back to afford a convenient and firm support for the fingers. B is a thumb-rest, secured to the back of the comb by rivets passing through it and said back. This is made of a width and height sufficientto afford room for the thumb of the tact with the horse when in use. This rest may be elongated and the ordinary side handle 0 attached thereto when found desirable.

I do not confine myself to the exact manner of attaching either the grasping device A or thumb-rest B to the comb shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, as many modifications thereof may be devised by a skillful mechanic which would come within the scope of my invention as mechanical equivalents, some of which I shall now describe. Thus, the thumb-rest 13 might be made in the form of a ring, and this ring be secured to the comb by riveting, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. It might be made without the elongation above described forthe handle, but terminate in a curve, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. It might be made in one piece with the knockers, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings.

The back of the comb may be made open or closed, as desired, in any of the well-known forms in common use, and the knockers and comb-bars of any desirable shape.

It, is obvious that my invention may be applied to brushes as well as combs.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a curry-comb, of a grasping device, A, an d a thumb-rest, B, placed opposite or nearly opposite each other, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with a curry-comb, of a grasping device, A, and athumb-rest, B, placed opposite or nearly opposite each other, and a side handle, G, substantially as shown and described.

' In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES A. HOTGIIKISS.

\Vitnesses JOHN F. AoKER, J r., O. H. McEwEN. 

